Are all salons created equal?

July 18, 2016 5:09 PM

I recently began laser hair removal at a salon in nyc and have had amazing results. I want to continue but it's.... crazy expensive. Are all places generally the same or do you get what you pay for?

I've started going to Pulse in NYC and its been great. No pain, great results, nice clean place etc. I want to do more (after I finish this series) but..... holy crap are they expensive. To do your legs, it would be $3000. That's... several months of rent for me! But there are tons of other places that are half that price, or even less.

So... is it all pretty much the same, or do the pricier places cost that much because they're actually better/safer at their work? It makes me sick to think of spending that much money just for a swankier place, when a more budget place does the same job with less frills.

What would be great, besides insight/anecdata, is recommendations of reputable salons in nyc that don't charge a billion dollars for this stuff!

posted by silverstatue to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (7 answers total)

In my experience (in NYC), unfortunately, you get what you pay for. My understanding is that some of the cheaper places use different/less effective lasers.

I tried several places (5 or 6) in the heyday of groupon, etc. several years ago. I had great results with Pulse, pretty good results at Deify and Beam, and worthless results at the other places. Pulse never seems to do any discounts for legs, but Beam has in the past, so you might want to keep an eye on them.
posted by Caz721 at 6:16 PM on July 18, 2016

I went to Deify for underarms and bikini a few years ago and was happy with the results. I started doing my arms and chin at Step Up Skin via a groupon in February and really like it. They updated their lasers a few months into the treatment and I've seen great results from both--my colleague also goes to Step Up Skin and is really happy.

Conversely, I bought a groupon for Cosmed Spa for my legs and am not even convinced that there's a laser! I'm seeing some reduction, but after six treatments I expected way more than what I'm getting and would never recommend their services.
posted by icaicaer at 8:53 PM on July 18, 2016

Laser worked great for me too (I did bikini and underarms and legs). It lasted for literally 26 months then the hair came back.

I'd strongly consider electrolysis. I went to a fancy electrolysis place with a premium Alexandrilite laser (Candela GentleLase, I think - it has been 4 years) and it was a major waste of money. However up to month 25 after treatment I heartily endorsed them.
posted by arnicae at 9:02 PM on July 18, 2016

I've gotten laser hair removal on my bikini area and then legs, both at a nice salon.

Safety: My thinking from the beginning is that lasers can be painful and dangerous, and that if someone is pointing them at the area where I might have children some day, this is not the time I want to cut corners or try a Groupon or whatever. I want the best.

Results: Based on anecdata from my friends, the ones who used cheaper routes tended to have significantly less successful results than I did.

It's frustrating because as much as I recommend laser, the cost is prohibitively expensive for most people. Even within my social crowd. We're strippers, so smooth skin is an investment for us in a way that it isn't for most civilians ... but even so, most of my coworkers haven't done it because of the cost.

Maybe there is a "hidden gem" salon around—and in NYC, it's definitely worth asking!—but I don't think there's an easy hack yet regarding the cost-vs.-quality dilemma.
posted by Peppermint Snowflake at 9:27 PM on July 18, 2016

This isn't about laser hair removal but it is about paying more for good work. I live in a small town and my great haircut plus highlights, a conditioning treatment, and tip costs around $200. Apparently, it'd cost about the same in the nearest city; I've had the same procedure done there for half the price but was very dissatisfied with the results. I also had a few years of unhappy haircuts that weren't bad but just not great like a good haircut should be; it took me a few years to find the right stylist match after my previous one left the profession. While I'd prefer to have great hair at a lower cost, I am so happy to have found this salon and consider it a worthy luxury. Finding a salon you like that gives you results you love is something awesome. Surely the rent is expensive there, hopefully the employees there are getting paid a salary they deserve, etc. You can look elsewhere and you might find something as good but maybe not. You could always pay for a few treatments elsewhere and then return to this place later if you'd like?
posted by smorgasbord at 7:32 AM on July 19, 2016 [1 favorite]

The place my partner used was very expensive for a single treatment, but they also offered a pay-upfront option that included as many treatments as you needed for a couple of years. That worked out to be very cheap per treatment and much cheaper than waxing during that time (plus the savings of no costs after, obviously).

I don't know how common that is, but if they offer it and you can afford the one time cost, it is a way to get the high end place for a much more reasonable price. Her experience was definitely that the fancier place gave better results, though I don't know if that was the type of machine or better training for the staff.
posted by Dip Flash at 7:43 AM on July 19, 2016

I loved Pulse but I found SkinSpa to be nearly as good for much less.
posted by Salamandrous at 12:23 PM on July 20, 2016